What are your forms of advertising?

[Wolfking42084]

Hey guys,
Just wondering what everyone does for advertising. I honestly know word of mouth is huge and is my main way, but what do other people do? I had truck magnets for the doors and tailgate of my truck, but never got anyone say they got my business from seeing those. thanks

 

[Mikecutstrees]

Advertising.... what works for me...

Heres something that was suprising to me about advertising. I advertise in both phone books, not a huge ad but one color and a little smaller than a business card. I figured if there was a big storm people would call and being in the phonebook would be important. Well we got a big ice storm about a month ago and I got about 75 calls. Only about 4 of them from the phone book, the rest from word of mouth. Of those 4 the people must have called alot of people in the book because by the time I got back to them (a few hours later) the job was either already done or scheduled to be done. Word of mouth has been much better and at no cost to me. Hand out alot of business cards and do quality work, I think thats the best advertising. The local business association has been very worthwhile too. For $35 they send out a flier once a year to everyone in town (2,000 homes) I get alot of local business from that (~ 20 new jobs per year).I think truck advertising makes you look more professional, and I use my website for people to learn more about me.... Good luck.... Mike

 

[gr8scott72]

Truck signs
business cards
business cards stuck on magnets (stick them on the pump at gas stations)
vinyl yard signs
local cassified liner ad
craig's list
4 phone books
flyers on windshields
knock on doors of neighbors when doing job

 

[Blakesmaster]

Lettered trucks
2 phone books
Website
Classified ad in local paper

 

[Wolfking42084]

Thats awesome. I was just seeing what everyone does. Haven't really thought about the business magnets at the pumps, but good idea.

 

[capetrees]

I have both truck and equipment signs and advertise in the local paper. I just changed my add, scaled back to a smaller one, which will run weekly instead of every other week. The cost was killing me on the big one but it got work. Now word of mouth is helping too. That's another part of the scaling back. People know who I am so I don't need to catch thier attention as much, especially in the winter. Spring time I'll run the big add again for special editions of the paper,ie. spring cleanup edition, home improvement edition, etc. but also keep the smaller one weekly.

 

[TDunk]

I put an add in the local town paper (weekly),and i put a couple bigger adds in every so often in the daily paper when they have specials going on. Business cards of course, lettering on both trucks, t-shirts and sweat shirts too. I've had people come up to me before when i'm out shopping, eating, etc. cuz they saw my shirt/hoodie.

 

[M.D. Vaden]

One thing I would do again - if I knew of it happening anywhere - are the placemat ads that people can read while waiting for a meal.

Not sure why those are not popular.

Could be due to the extra bulk it causes in restaurant trash cans afterward.

 

[Lumberjacked]

2nd to the obvious is a direct mailer. You are forcing the people to look at your flyer. Just make sure it is colorful and catchy but not hideous. I do one ever spring and run a one liner in the phone book, mainly for repeat customers that lost my #. I dont have my trucks lettered and I only own two, but I cant tell you the number of people that say "Oh yeah we see you guys all over the place!" I just smile and say "thats us!" Adv. is ALL about repetition and name recognition.

 

[PurdueJoe]

Word of mouth rocks. Other then that its just b-cards and lettering on my trucks. I've been told all a phone book add does is make you run 4 x the estimates and only get a 1/4 more work. O yeah and I'm not a fan the client that has to get 5 more estimates before they make there decision. I get alot less of that when dealing with word of mouth clients.

 

[Marquis]

word of mouth

Word of mouth is my best advertisement.# That is why it pays to be professional, because it only takes ONE bad word of mouth to go around, and you're done!# I also had a small ad in the local paper, phone book, and some business cards.# Have a couple signs on my equipment.

 

[Wolfking42084]

Do you all prefer the stenciling on your trucks or just say door and tailgate magnets? I've had magnets for the past 5 years and they tend to blow off on the interstate or some @%^hole takes them off at the grocery store.

 

[Blakesmaster]

I like the look of vinyl lettering better. Much more permanent looking. Magnets look cheap in my opinion.

 

[Wolfking42084]

I agree. Especially if the background of the magnet is a totally different color than the truck.

 

[Mike Cantolina]

One thing I would do again - if I knew of it happening anywhere - are the placemat ads that people can read while waiting for a meal.

Not sure why those are not popular.

Could be due to the extra bulk it causes in restaurant trash cans afterward.

They are popular here and I use them with pretty good results.

 

[woodchux]

I've paid for an ad on the back of a menu before. A complete waste of money for me... not one call that i know of.